To be Normal
by Sassy66
Summary: Hasn't every hero thought of what life would be like if they were normal? One Titan is given the opportunity to experience a normal life but how will it affect him and his teammates? And what will happen when an old face resurfaces? Rated T for themes and possible language. Rating may change later on.
1. Chapter 1

"Look out!" Starfire shouted as she launched a barrage of green bolts over Beastboy's head. The bolts hit Cinderblock with a force that was enough to knock the giant back which angered him more. Robin ran at the stone creature at full speed and used his Bo staff to vault himself up and onto the creature's shoulder. Robin stuck Cinderblock with three sticky bombs and quickly jumped off and was caught by Starfire who placed him onto the ground. The bombs went off and seemed to do some actual damage to the stone giant, pieces of rock crumbling to the ground. Beastboy took the chance to turn into a pterodactyl and fly up to the creature's head, using his talons to scratch at the creature's face. This agitated Cinderblock and he swiped the pterodactyl out of the air and hard into the ground where Beastboy switched back to his human form. Beastboy shook it off and was about to transform into something else when Cyborg knocked him back onto the ground.

"Stay back B, it's about to get real!" Cyborg aimed his sonic canon at Cinderblock and fired a continuous blast that pushed the villain back. Cinderblock then tripped over the wire Robin had set up and Cinderblock hit the ground with a thud. Raven quickly used her telekinesis to wrap a light pole around the villain's legs while Starfire used her strength to bend one around the creature's chest and arms, successfully pinning him down onto the ground. "Booyah!" Cyborg cheered at the team's victory. Beastboy felt less victorious but put a smile on his face anyways as he fist-bumped Cyborg. The police arrived in two helicopters to take Cinderblock back to his prison cell. Robin gave the authorities a statement and the team was on their way back to the tower.

Beastboy slumped his way to his room. The team had defeated Cinderblock but the Changeling was feeling utterly useless. He wasn't strong enough to fight off Cinderblock and his teammates knew it. Beastboy had never felt so weak and useless before in his life. He slid onto his bed where he sat thinking about his career as a Titan. He had always been the "runt" of the group and not quite as strong or intelligent as his teammates. He even began to wonder if he was simply a burden to his teammates; always getting in the way and needing to be rescued. For once in his life Beastboy couldn't cheer himself up. He opened his bedroom window, transformed into a hawk, and flew out heading towards the city.

Once in the city Beastboy transformed back into his human form and began to go for a walk. He just needed to clear his head and it was the perfect time of evening to do it. It was about 10:15 at night and most of the civilians were in their homes. The sun was down and he was guided by the dull orange glow of street lamps. Beastboy kept his head low and hands in his pockets as he strolled down the street doing his best not be noticed which was surprisingly easy as no one paid any mind to him. It wasn't long before Beastboy found himself standing in front of the fence that surrounded Murakami School.

Memories flooded back to when Beastboy saw Terra alive and attending school here. He still didn't know for sure if it was Terra but he couldn't help believing it was. The distraction didn't help Beastboy's mood, in fact he felt even sadder as he remembered Terra and their short time together. He had truly loved her but Slade had snatched her from him and corrupted her. Her final sacrifice was noble but he knew he would never get her back. It had been at least 2 years now and yet he still thought of her sometimes. He placed a hand on one of the bars of the fence and sighed. She was in the past and it did nothing to help his mood to dwell on thoughts of her. He turned to head back towards downtown when out of nowhere he was grabbed from behind. He felt something cold snap around his neck and he was pulled backwards into something completely dark. He panicked and attempted to change into something but found he couldn't.

"Hey! Let me go!" He was pulled backwards and landed on a cold, hard surface, he could still feel the body heat of another person sitting behind him. Beastboy struggled against the hands that held his arms behind his back and kicked out with his legs only to hit something hard and metal. His eyes began to adjust and he realized he must be in some kind of van. The roar of an engine and the shaking of the ground beneath him confirmed this. "Where are you taking me?!" Beastboy shouted. He tried to turn to face his captor but was held tightly, unable to move his upper body. He began to calm down and tried to think logically about how to get out of this. He didn't have much time to think before the van stopped suddenly and a blindfold was wrapped around his eyes and cuffs around his hands. He was led out of the van into a building, eventually being sat into a chair and his hands and legs were strapped down to the chair. "What is going on? Answer me!"

"Beastboy, it's okay." The Changeling's heart dropped at the sound of that voice. He knew exactly who had spoken but he didn't want to believe it. His face began to grow red as anger pulsed through his body. He clenched his fists and kicked forward, attempting to break free of the restraints but to no avail.

"Who are you?! What are you doing with me?!"

"You know who I am. As soon as you calm down I'll remove the blindfold. We need to talk; the restraints are just to keep you from running and the collar to keep you from shifting; I'm not going to hurt you, I promise." Beastboy breathed deeply, unclenching his fists and realizing the only way out of this was to cooperate. "There you go." Beastboy listened as the captor walked towards him and undid the blindfold. Bright lights flooded Beastboy's vision and it took a moment for him to gather his senses. The first thing he saw was blonde hair and large blue eyes looking at him.

"What's going on?" Beastboy's voice became quiet as he took in his surrounding and who he was speaking to.

"I have a proposition for you. It's hard to be a superhero, don't you ever think about leaving that life behind and living a normal life?" She paused to give Beastboy a chance to think. Of course he thought about what it would be like to be normal, he was certain every hero thought that way at some point. But it was his duty to protect people and to use his ability for good. Yet today he had felt so useless. He wasn't as big and powerful as his teammates, would they even noticed if he was gone? "I can give you a normal life, Beastboy."

"How?"

"There's a cure. It's a pill that you take every day and it suppresses the mutated genes that make you what you are. It makes you normal. That's what I did."

"So it really is you, Terra?"

"It's me. I'm sorry I hurt you but I did what I had to do. I wasn't happy and all I did was cause destruction and pain for everyone around me. _He_ found me and he gave me the cure and now I'm normal. I got a chance to start again. I'm happy, Beastboy. And I'm older now and I realized I can make you happy with me." Beastboy wasn't sure what to do. Could he really abandon his team like that? Just for a chance to be with Terra?

"I don't know…"

"Think about what it could do. You wouldn't have to care about anyone else. No more pressure, no more worries, you'd be just like everyone else going about your normal life."

"But… the Titans…" This seemed to strike a nerve with Terra.

"You don't need them and they really don't need you. What have they done for you Beastboy besides bully you? You've always been the weaker one. They call you stupid and they don't believe in your abilities. You'd be better off without them. Especially that Raven, she's been nothing but mean to you." Beastboy thought back to times when Robin wouldn't let Beastboy help because he didn't think Beastboy was strong enough. He thought of times when Cyborg made fun of his intelligence, even if it was just a joke it still hurt. And Raven; Beastboy always tried to be nice to her and get her to participate and she was always mean to him, even hurt him sometimes. Beastboy began to feel angered, even a little betrayed.

"Alright, I'll do it." Terra smiled but it wasn't the smile Beastboy remembered, in fact it made him a little uneasy.

"Awesome. The first dose is in a shot or else the transformation would take weeks. It's pretty strong but I promise it won't hurt." Terra looked past Beastboy, presumably to someone behind him. He'd been so focused on Terra that he'd forgotten someone had to have driven the van and someone else had been holding him down in the van. The other person walked up and hit something on the back of the chair which lowered it to a position that was horizontal with the floor. He realized it was kind of like a dentist's chair. Beastboy caught a glimpse of two large men behind him, both wearing black masks with slits for the eyes. Beastboy began to feel a bit uneasy but he trusted Terra and knew she wouldn't hurt him. She knelt down next to the chair and grabbed his still restrained hand. "The restraints are just a safety measure. Are you ready?" Beastboy met her eyes and she smiled, her real smile this time, and it put him at easy. She nodded at the men behind him and one of them leaned down and injected a large needle into the side of Beastboy's neck. Beastboy could feel the liquid quickly filling his veins. He tensed up as his body began to feel like it was on fire. He let out a scream as he fought passed the pain. Dots filled his vision and his skin felt like it was crawling with ants.

"I'm sorry Beastboy, it's almost over!" Terra gripped his hand harder but he could barely hear her. He'd never been in so much pain his life. What was happening to him? He began to gasp for air and suddenly the pain won and he passed out, Terra's voice echoing in his ears. "It's gonna be ok, I promise."

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 **A/N: Whew it's been a while since I've written! I've been super busy with school (just finished my second year at college!) and recently purchased a 3ds to play my favorite childhood game Animal Crossing. After reading some fanfic for AC I actually was inspired to write again so came up with this! I want to branch into something a little darker than I'm used to and incorporate some characters I haven't used before. I have an idea what I'm doing with this story but as you all probably know, sometimes stories have a mind of their own and take me places I didn't intend to go! Please let me know what you think and even what you would like to see out of this story, I love your input! I'm going to do my best to keep up with this story since I'm done with school for the summer.**

 **Also, I apologize to those who started reading my other story "Something Within" but I don't think I will be finishing it any time soon. I had a lot of ideas and motivation when I first started and then got really busy and haven't had time to go back to it. I'm going to focus on this story for now and maybe it will inspire me to continue the other story but I don't know for sure. Thank you for taking the time to read this and review it!**


	2. Chapter 2

**A/N: Wow look at me, back here again a year later! It always frustrated me when my favorite writers took months to put out new content or chapters and yet here I am being one of those writers! So I want to say I'm extremely sorry about how long it takes me to put out new content, life happens unfortunately and sometimes I just run out of ideas. I just finished my 3rd year of college and it's now summer so hopefully that will give me some time to write. I will be posting 2 chapters and if I'm being totally honest, these were written about 3 months ago I just wasn't sure if I wanted to post them (don't hate me!). I reread them and decided why not? so here they are, I hope you enjoy. I'm going to try and write some new stuff soon as well!**

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"Beastboy? Can you hear me?" Beastboy's mind was spinning and for a moment he wasn't sure what was going on. It all came back to him though as he heard the sound of Terra's voice. His limbs tingled but he was no longer in pain. He slowly began to open his eyes, letting the blinding florescent lights fill his vision. "Beastboy! Take it slow now, you have to get used to the world without your powers." Terra helped him sit up in the chair, his arms and legs no longer strapped down. As his vision cleared Beastboy immediately noticed how dulled his senses were. As Beastboy he had acquired heightened hearing, sight, and smell because of the animal genes that ran through him. He felt a little cold too, not accustomed to the lack of fine green hair that used to coat his entire body. With his vision restored he held out his hands in front of him only to be shocked at the complete lack of green pigment in his skin. He ran his hand along his lips and felt the absence of a fang poking out. "Here." Terra handed Beastboy a mirror.

Beastboy didn't recognize himself at all. In the mirror was a pale boy with shaggy blonde hair and bright blue eyes. It still sort of looked like him, but without some of his characteristic green skin, fang, and pointy ears he felt he looked completely… normal. That was the point though, wasn't it? And yet he couldn't help feeling extremely uncomfortable. Realizing how long he must have been staring at himself in the mirror, Beastboy decided to make light of the situation.

"Hey I know was pretty good-looking before but now… hot damn!" Terra let out a giggle that instantly brightened Beastboy's mood. She always laughed at his jokes no matter how corny they were, something the other Titans never did.

"What should I call you?" Beastboy was confused for a moment and it must have reflected on his face. "You're no longer Beastboy so what should I call you?" Beastboy thought for a moment back to a time when he was very young in Africa with his scientist parents.

"Garfield. Garfield Logan." Terra smirked at the name.

"What is this, the 70s?" Beastboy's now pale cheeks turned bright red.

"It's my actual name… I wasn't born like this… like that … you know?"

"Oh, I'm sorry. Garfield. It's kinda cute. I can't help but imagining you as a certain orange cat though! I think I'll go with Gar though." Terra stood and extended her hand out to him. "Let's go."

"Alright, where?"

"I'll take you to my home for now and then maybe we can get you enrolled at my high school?"

"Oh right… I forgot being normal means going to school…" The two walked out of the strange building into the bright light of the sun outside. "Whoa… how long was I out?"

"Just for the night, c'mon." Terra led Garfield into a small black Mazda.

"This is yours?"

"I have to get around somehow, right?"

"I guess … but how did you get it?"

"It was a gift from Mr. Wilson, I'll introduce you to him when we get to the apartment." Beastboy cautiously got into the passenger seat of the car. His head was practically spinning now, everything was happening so fast.

"Terra, wait a minute, I need some explanations. So much… I don't even know where to begin. I need answers I guess. Like how are you alive? I know I saw you two years ago but even then you never told me what happened. How are you not stone anymore?" Terra sighed and turned the car off and turned slightly to face Garfield.

"I don't really know to be honest. I remember caving in Slade's hideout and I blacked out and then it felt like seconds and I was awake again but everyone was gone. I didn't understand it either and I was scared and I wanted to find you but he … Mr. Wilson … he found me first. He told me everything. He said that I had been turned to stone and was like that for almost a year. Then the world almost ended and everyone else turned to stone and Mr. Wilson thinks that when Raven reversed everyone else turning to stone it worked on me to. He knows a lot about me and about the Teen Titans. He told me he had always been a big fan and wrote stories about you guys although I've never read them.

"Anyways, I told him how I hated my powers and he told me he had a cure. It worked and I was normal again and could go to school so I did. I wasn't ready to face you or the Titans when you saw me those years ago. I wanted to start completely over, you know? I've been watching you all lately though and I noticed how little the team seemed to care about you. I thought that maybe you want to join me and be normal too, and I was right." Garfield sat quietly thinking over everything she had said. Somehow Raven had saved Terra without knowing it. Gar could only imagine the look on Raven's face if she knew that she was the reason Terra was back, Raven never liked Terra. Garfield could understand that Terra would want some time to herself to start her life over but was shocked to hear that she still thought about him.

"Ok explain to me who this Mr. Wilson guy is?" Terra looked away and started the car preparing to head to the apartment.

"He's kind of like my guardian now I guess. He found me and he took me in and he helped me cope with not having powers. He let me live with him in his apartment and buys food for us. He's very caring and it was a little weird at first but now he's kind of become like a father to me. I think you'll like him, he can be a little shy but he's really a nice guy. I think he knew someone who had powers because he really seems to understand what it's like to have superpowers." Garfield got a weird feeling about the guy but decided not to say anything. Terra trusted him and she had been living with him for nearly two years so he couldn't be that dangerous. It wasn't long before the car pulled into an underground parking garage. Once they parked Terra led Garfield to an elevator which took them up several floors. Terra led him into a surprisingly large apartment. Gar recognized immediately it was one of the upscale apartments in the center of Jump City that was generally lived in by wealthy businessmen. "It's nice right? Here, I'll show you to your room." Terra led Garfield down a small hallway with two doors on each side. "The first door on the right is the bathroom and the second is Mr. Wilson's room. Mine is the last on the left so you will be staying this one, it used to be the guest room but it's yours now." Terra opened the door to a modest bedroom. The room furnished only a small twin bed and a wooden dresser. "Feel free to make it like home."

"Home." The word felt weird in his mouth. Surely he couldn't just abandon the Titans like this? Yet he had pretty much already sealed his fate by accepting the cure to his powers. He wasn't sure he could really call this home though, something about the place felt cold and uninviting. There was no family here, no warmth like he felt when he was at the tower. He didn't think he could back out now though and would have to settle with this fate. "But what about my stuff? I have to go back and get it and I should at least say goodbye to the others." Terra had a look like she tasted something sour but quickly replaced it with a smile.

"Of course we can go back and get your stuff, just not right this moment ok? How about you sit down and relax a bit so that you can process everything that's going on. I'll make us some pancakes, ok?" Garfield nodded and turned to enter his room. He heard the door close softly behind him as he sat down on the bed. What had he done?


	3. Chapter 3

" _Raven, what are you doing?! Stop!" Robin called from across the dark, barren field. Several large, black tendrils were quickly approaching Robin. He threw everything he had at them but it all passed right through the smoky black shapes. Robin stepped back only to realize he was pinned against a large cliff wall. The tendrils struck out at him, first knocking Robin to the ground and then wrapping themselves around him, slowing tightening their grip. The sky above was a dark red and all the grass in the field was dead and gray. Large rocks scattered the field which was really a valley surrounded by large cliff walls on all sides. All of her friends now lay on the ground unconscious and bloody. In the center of the field was Raven, chained to a wooden post. Her normal eyes were closed but above them a pair of red glowing eyes stared down Robin._

" _Raven is nothing but a portal now, here to fulfill her destiny and bring forth the end of times." The booming deep voice rang out across the field shaking the Earth._

" _Rav-" Robin was cut off as the tendrils tightened around him, squeezing the life completely out of him. The deep voice could be heard laughing all around them._

"No!" Raven sat up with a jolt, sending her blankets flying. She was sweating and breathing deeply. "It was just a dream." She told herself. Nearly 18 years she lived with these powers and still could not control her dreams. She had a nightmare at least once a week now and it was becoming problematic for her. Having calmed down, Raven swung her legs off her bed and headed out of her room and towards the kitchen.

She could just see the first hints of sun peeking out over the horizon, a purplish-pink glow filling the still dark sky. She brewed herself a cup of tea and found a spot on the couch so that she could see out the window and watch the sunrise. She enjoyed early mornings and didn't really need as much sleep as her teammates because of all the mediation she did during the day. The sun had made its way fully into the sky, announcing the start of the day. She finished off her tea and deposited the cup in the sink. She made her way back to her room to get dressed for the day when she noticed something was ... off. She couldn't place her finger on it but she was getting an odd feeling as she approached her room. She slowed her pace as she passed by Beastboy's room, the room right before hers.

She almost made it past the Changeling's room when she noticed light coming through the bottom of his door. Beastboy was never up this early so it immediately struck her as odd that his light would be on. She approached his door and knocked lightly.

"Beastboy." There was no response. "Beastboy?" She sighed and assumed that maybe he had fallen asleep with his lights on. She was about to give up and head back to her room when something inside her told her she needed to check if he was alright. "Beastboy? Open up." On the third knock the door slid open and Raven peaked her head inside. "Yuck." A certain characteristic teenage-boy smell filled her nose as she peaked in the messy room. She directed her attention to the bed to see that it was empty. Her attention immediately went to the window which was wide open. Odd. He must have gone for a fly or something. Still strange that he would be up this early. Raven backed out of the room and let the door slide close. She decided that Beastboy could handle himself and she needn't worry about it.

It was midmorning when she reemerged from her room, book in hand. She headed towards the main room to see Cyborg cooking up some bacon and Starfire and Robin chatting quietly on the couch. The two had been getting extremely close lately, though not to anyone's surprise. Those two had liked each other from the day Starfire stepped foot on Earth. After nearly 4 years of working together as a team it was really about time they acted on those feelings. Now that Robin was 18 Raven felt he was becoming a little more mature and confident with girls. Robin wasn't nearly as awkward around Starfire and actually seemed to be working towards something between the two. Raven approached the kitchen table and sat down opting to avoid the couch and not interrupt the love birds.

"Mornin' Rae." Cyborg grinned as he sat down at the table with his large plate of bacon.

"Morning." Raven opened her book and began reading, indicating she wasn't in the mood for polite chit-chat. Cyborg dove into his plate of food eating quickly and a bit loudly but Raven easily tuned him out. She was just getting to a good point in the book when Cyborg interrupted her.

"Yo Rae?" Raven offered a glance up at the half-robot. "Have you seen the little grass stain, it's not like him to skip out on a meal."

"No." Raven didn't think it was wise for her reputation to divulge that she'd actually been inside the Changeling's room earlier wondering the same thing.

"Eh I'll go check on him, maybe he got food poisoning from his tofu tacos last night." Cyborg left the table, leaving Raven to return to her book. It wasn't long before Cyborg reentered the room however, a slightly concerned look on his face. "Hey Robin, have you seen Beastboy?" Robin didn't even bother to take his eyes of Star in response.

"Uh no I don't think so. Probably in his room."

"I just checked and he's not there but his window's open, he must have gone somewhere?" Raven looked up at the mention that Beastboy was still gone. It was kind of odd for him to be gone for so long, it had been at least 4 hours since she had checked his room. Of course he could have gotten tired and fell asleep on a park bench somewhere. "I'll see if I can call him." Cyborg hit a button on his robotic arm that popped up a small screen similar to the T-communicators the rest of the Titans used. "Cyborg to Beastboy. Where are you buddy?" Cyborg waited for a response but none came. "Cyborg to Beastboy, what's your location?" Still nothing. Robin was now standing next to Cyborg, seeming to have become a bit more worried at the lack of response.

"What's going on, why isn't he answering?" Robin questioned.

"I don't know, you don't think he's in trouble do you?" Cyborg tried to mask his concern but it was still obvious that he cared for the green shapeshifter like a brother.

"Let's give it half an hour and see if he gets back to us. If not, we'll have to go on a search mission." Robin was always best at keeping calm in these kinds of situations and always taking a reasonable approach. It was clear he was still concerned though as he left the room instead of returning to the couch with Starfire.

"Oh I do hope he is ok." Starfire paced awkwardly in front of the couch unable to sit still. Raven stood and decided to check the Changeling's room for any clues as to where he might have gone. She slipped out of the common room without any notice from the others and headed down the hall. Beastboy's door slid open and she entered the room cautiously. She looked around to see if there was any sign of a struggle that would indicate he was taken, though of all the Titans to choose from she couldn't think of why Beastboy would be the first pick. She sighed over the messiness of the room, it was impossible to make any sense of the strewn clothes and trash. She stepped precariously over a pile of smelly clothes to get closer to the window. She ran her hand over the sill gently, searching for some kind of feeling that would help her make sense of his disappearance but found nothing. She felt nothing out of the ordinary and determined it was pointless to stay in his room any longer than she needed to. She made her way back to the main room where Cyborg and Robin now stood in front of the large computer screen looking at a map of the city.

"…and if we hit this button right here it should pinpoint exactly where his communicator, and ideally Beastboy, is." Cyborg hit a key on the keyboard and a red flashing dot popped up on the screen. "Huh, that's odd. He's in the McKinley apartment building downtown. Does the kid know someone that lives there?"

"Doubtful. Let's take the car and head down there and find out what's up." Robin turned and led the team down to the garage. It didn't take long for the team to arrive outside the upscale apartment buildings and Raven couldn't help but feel oddly suspicious about the whole thing. Cyborg hit a button on his arm that popped up a small computer screen. Using his fingers he zoomed in on the blinking dot on the screen.

"Looks like apartment 406." The Titans headed through the lobby and piled into the elevator. Raven could feel the uneasiness of the team as they were all unsure of what they were going to encounter. It wasn't long before the 4 of them stood in front of the apartment door and Robin knocked firmly 3 times. After a few moments the door opened and the team was greeted with someone they weren't expecting. Standing at the door was Terra, alive and grinning smugly at the group of teens. Raven could feel the rage burning inside and had to close her eyes and breathe deeply to keep herself from doing something stupid. Nothing good ever came with Terra around and no matter what they told Beastboy he still seemed to trust her.

"Can I help you?" Terra asked as if she didn't recognize the heroes.

"Terra you are no longer stone?" Starfire was the first to speak. "But why did you not come to us?" Terra looked away briefly before responding.

"Yeah I uh, meant to but I, something came up I guess."

"Terra, we're trying to find Beastboy, do you know anything about his whereabouts? Our radar says his communicator is in this apartment." Robin took a step forward as if to intimidate the girl into speaking.

"He's here." She replied bluntly.

"Well can we talk to him?" Cyborg asked. Terra seemed to hesitate a bit.

"Uh yeah. Follow me." Terra led the teens into the apartment and indicated for them to wait in the living room. None of the titans sat down as they group collectively grew more suspicious. Raven had been looking around the apartment when a shriek from Starfire pulled her attention back. She immediately understood Star's reaction as Beastboy walked into the room. It was Beastboy, but it wasn't; Raven could sense that it was most definitely the young Changeling but he no longer looked like himself. In front of them stood a pale boy completely lacking any green pigmentation in his skin; he looked completely human.

"Beastboy! What has happened?!" Starfire quickly approached Beastboy and touched his forehead as if to check if he was sick.

"Why don't you guys have a seat."


	4. Chapter 4

**A/N: New Chapter! I was originally going to make this multiple chapters but felt it right having all of the scenes in one chapter, so be prepared as there are shifts in point of view which is why I've added the page breaks. Also, I know it's going to be a little confusing, but from now on Beastboy is going to refer to himself as Garfield and if the action is in his POV he will be called Garfield while the other Titans will continue to address him as Beastboy. I hope that's not too confusing! Alright, enjoy!**

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"You-you cannot be Beastboy; our Beastboy is a glorious shade of green and you are not!" Starfire exclaimed, clearly bewildered by his appearance.

"You're right, I'm not Beastboy," He began as he walked over to sitting area, gesturing for the other Titans to sit. Starfire, Raven, and Cyborg complied and Robin remained standing behind the couch, arms crossed. "I _was_ Beastboy but I'm not anymore. I'm…cured. I'm normal now."

"Cured? Superpowers aren't a disease Beastboy." Robin said sternly.

"I know… that's just what they call it."

"'It'?"

"What they did to me to get rid of the powers, to make me normal."

"Oh Beastboy, why would you need to be rid of your powers? They are who you are!" Starfire appeared on the verge of tears.

"No. I wasn't born with powers like you or Raven. I contracted a disease and that's how I got those abilities. This…this is who I always was underneath all of that."

"I just don't get it man. Why?" Cyborg asked.

"I realized just how useless I was to the team and thought maybe I could just leave it all behind. Then I ran into Terra and she showed me I could be completely normal again. I had to do it. I'm tired of being the weak one on the team, you guys will be fine without me. I just want a normal life." Beastboy appeared the most serious he'd even been in his life. The Titans didn't like what he was saying, but he had a point. Robin could have a normal life if he wanted, all he had to do was take off the mask. But the others, their powers limited their ability to blend in. Fighting crime was hard and it took a toll, there were many times Robin wanted to just quit but he knew he had a duty to lead his team and protect the city. He couldn't believe he didn't see this coming, as the leader he should have been doing a better job supporting his team. He couldn't help but feel like he was the one who pushed Beastboy away.

"Is it reversible?" Robin asked.

"Does it matter? I've made my decision." Beastboy turned to the large window that overlooked Jump City. In the distance a large 'T' could be made out on the bay.

"You can come get your stuff tomorrow." Robin said, a tone of finality in his voice. Starfire jumped out of her seat and stared at Robin.

"He…he can't! You can't let him!" She began.

"It is his decision to leave the team, I can't force anyway to stay." Robin replied. "We should get going." Robin turned and headed for the door. Starfire began tearing up and Cyborg pulled her into a hug. Raven silently rose and began toward the door before stopping in front of Terra who had been watching the conversation from the kitchen.

"Whatever you did to him, we will find out and we will reverse it. You're not getting away with this." The phrase was uttered in a monotone voice but there was fire beneath the words, Raven knew Terra was up to something. The door closed gently behind Cyborg as all the Titans made their way to the elevator and down to the parking garage.

"I do not understand this! Why won't you do something?" Starfire continued to weep as Cyborg put a comforting hand on her back.

"Somethings up, we're going to get to the bottom of it, but we can't do it here." Robin said as he got into the front seat of the T-car. "Beastboy may have felt…left out and wanted a normal life… but the fact that Terra is somehow involved in this is extremely suspicious to me. We haven't heard of her since Beastboy possibly ran into her at the high school. And for her to have some kind of 'cure' to get rid of superpowers? It doesn't make sense. She has to be working with someone." Robin had a look of determination on his face.

"What about Beastboy?" Starfire asked.

"For now, there isn't much we can do. Maybe Cyborg can get a blood sample tomorrow and see what caused his powers to disappear? I'd like to know if there's an antidote. I doubt he'll want to tell us much, we're going to have to figure this out from the outside." The rest of the car ride was silent as each Titan pondered over the events of the day and wondered if just maybe Beastboy was just in wanting a normal life.

* * *

Once the door closed Garfield fell into the couch, suddenly feeling exhausted. Terra found a seat next to him, a little closer than he might have expected.

"You did good. I'm sorry you had to see them today but I think it was for the best."

"I…I feel like I betrayed them somehow. I mean I didn't even tell them how I felt or what I was going to do. Some friend I am."

"Some friends they are. I mean, just remember how you were feeling earlier, how neglected you felt and how they treated you like the weak-link."

"I guess." Now that he had had some time to think things over, he was beginning to wonder if he acted too quick. He wasn't sure he could go back on his decision at this point though.

"Beast-I mean Garfield, I'm glad you made the decision you did. Maybe it will give us a chance to finally work things out." Terra's hand was suddenly on Garfield's and he felt a strange emotion pass through him, one he hadn't felt in a long time.

"I've missed you… but… you betrayed us Terra, and then you told me I should just move on." Garfield turned slightly so he was face-to-face with Terra.

"I was young and confused. I got manipulated but I tried to fix it. And then… I just felt it would be better if you stayed away because I was nothing but trouble. But I thought about you all the time." Terra looked deeply at Garfield and he stared back. She had caused him so much pain in the past but she still meant so much to him. He thought he had moved on, really, after all these years. But sitting so close to her on the couch all of his old feelings came rushing back. She leaned in closer when the door suddenly creaked open. "Mr. Wilson!" Terra shot up off the couch and walked toward the door. Entering was a middle-aged man with his arms full of paper bags. Terra reached forward to help him with the bags which they deposited on the kitchen counter. Garfield was able to get a good look at the man: he was tall and extremely fit. He had grey hair and a firm jaw with a slight scar along his cheek. The man was wearing dark sunglasses and was dressed in a dark grey suit. He was the George Clooney type of man that women of all ages dreamed about. He was definitely not who Garfield was expecting.

"Mr. Wilson, this is Garfield – formally Beastboy, I told you about him, remember?" Mr. Wilson walked over to the couch and stuck out his hand which Garfield took. His grip was strong and firm.

"Yes, of course. I'm Mr. Wilson. So nice to meet you." His voice was deep and smooth and vaguely familiar. He spoke in short, curt sentences.

"I should probably thank you, huh? You're the one who made the serum, right?" Mr. Wilson offered a nod and his lip curled upward slightly. The man turned and began putting away the groceries. Terra was smiling up at him with a look of adoration. Garfield wasn't sure what to think of the man, but something was definitely off about him. For one, the man still had not removed his sunglasses even though they were inside, maybe he had sensitive eyes?

"I'm uh, gonna rest for a bit…I'm pretty tired." Garfield took a step back and with no objections made his way to his new room. He couldn't shake the odd feeling that had been growing since he arrived here. Something was not right, he just didn't know what.

Garfield sat in his new room on the hard, twin bed. For such a high-quality apartment in the heart of Jump City, Mr. Wilson did not put any money into the guest room as the bed reminded him of a summer camp bed. He laid down and stared at the white ceiling, processing everything that had happened. It hadn't occurred to him until he saw the other Titans how big the decision was that he had made. He had literally turned his back on everyone and everything for a chance at normalcy and he was beginning to wonder if it was really too late for that. He feared more and more every hour that he had made a crazy rash decision without thinking – typical Beastboy. Maybe he could just try it out for a few days and admit to Terra he didn't want this? He wasn't even sure if he could reverse this…

"Gar?" Garfield sat up and saw Terra in the doorway, a plate in hand. "I brought you some dinner, Mr. Wilson and I usually just eat alone but maybe that can change now that you're here… anyways, I made an attempt at a tofu burger." Terra placed the plate on the night stand next to the bed and sat down next to Garfield. She looked at him with those bright blue eyes that somehow always had an innocent look to them. "How are you feeling? I know it's been a rough day." Terra placed a hand on Garfield's. He turned his head slightly to hide his blushing cheeks, even after all these years girls still made him nervous.

"I'm… not sure to be honest. I haven't really had any time to think about everything and then my team shows up and I'm feeling really confused now."

"I know. It's not easy to leave a life you've always known, but you have a chance to start over now, be someone new if you want. Find someone new…" She was still staring intently at him; it was almost difficult to meet her gaze.

"Terra… things have a habit of ending badly for us."

"Maybe… but you're someone new now. We can forget about the past and start from the beginning." Terra was moving closer to Garfield now and he could feel the heat rising in his cheeks. She smelled like a fresh meadow and the scent was drawing him in. "I know you haven't forgotten about me after all these years, I'm sure you weren't distracted by the alien or the goth freak in that tower." Garfield pulled back, shocked at Terra's words.

"She's not a freak."

"You're seriously defending her? She's a creepy loner with a wicked temper, don't tell me you actually started to like _her_?"

"She's my friend." Garfield began, once again his cheeks turning red but this time out of anger. "They're all my friends." The words felt powerless in his mouth as he began to question that statement.

"Some friends, they had no problem leaving you here, it didn't even seem to bother them that you don't have powers anymore. They treat you like crap, you're the weak link to them, the _expendable_ one." The words stung him like acid. "You're important to me, you matter to me and you should forget about them." With that, Terra caressed Garfield's face and pressed her lips to his. Garfield wasn't sure what to think or do but Terra wasn't giving him an option. She kissed him forcefully, her arms around his neck. He was weak to her charms and began to kiss her back. He was beginning to feel warm when she pulled away, a smirk on her face. She stood and began to leave but turned to face him one last time. "Forget about them, think about me." With that she left the room and Garfield was hopelessly confused.

* * *

The 4 Titans arrived back at the tower in silence. No one knew how to feel or what to do at this point. One of their own had left them, even chosen to be stripped of his superpowers, and they were expected to just be ok with it? Raven felt especially betrayed, though she wasn't 100% sure why. It was just Beastboy, she shouldn't be so worked up about his decisions. Yet the Titans, they were her family and for one to turn their back on them… it felt so wrong. And somehow Terra is involved in all of this? Raven could feel the rage burning inside her and took all her willpower to keep herself under control. She hated Terra, she never trusted her not even in the beginning and whenever she showed up something bad followed. She knew this couldn't be a coincidence, Terra was behind some scheme or working with some villain, she knew it. At the apartment, it had felt good to release a bit of her anger in her biting words but now Raven felt ashamed. Thankfully no one her heard her comment except Terra, that kind of reaction was not acceptable from Raven. She quickly made her way to her room, she needed to meditate and get her emotions back under control.

Raven levitated in her usual pose and closed her eyes, beginning her mantra. She willed her mind to empty as she slowed her breathing. She entered her mind place and was in a state of complete calm, refocusing her thoughts her emotions. It didn't feel like long before she touched back down on the ground and opened her eyes. According to her clock it had been just over an hour but it hardly felt like time had passed at all. Feeling calm and relaxed Raven was ready to get to work on finding something out about what had happened to Beastboy. She wondered if she had any books that might discuss stripping powers and headed to her bookshelf to search.

In the control room of Titans Tower Robin sat staring at the large computer screen in front of him. He had so many thoughts and questions going through his head he had to close his eyes for a moment to make sense of everything. Beastboy had not only chosen to leave the team, but he had chosen to give up his power. Why? Had Robin really not been paying attention to the needs of his teammates? He had always felt confident in his role as a leader, sure that he could tell how his team felt, but this completely blindsided him. He had come to believe that Beastboy's early beginnings in the life of fighting crime had well prepared him for the challenges. The kid had been fighting off the bad guys almost as long as Robin, which was saying a lot. Sure, Beastboy was young and naïve at times but he was full of energy and spirit and Robin began to wonder if it was a façade; how long had Beastboy been doubting his role on the team? Robin felt like a failure.

He had to fix this somehow, he couldn't have the team fall apart, not in the height of their career. Not as they were all about to enter adulthood and be a part of the real world of crime. Robin had been collaborating with Batman for the past year, in talks of setting up a new team of young Titans, with Batman's latest ageing sidekick at the forefront, in the neighboring city. It was no secret the Titans were getting older but Robin felt that only meant they were getting stronger and honing the craft. As tiring as it all was, Robin was not even close to getting tired of fighting crime and that any of his team would be was unbelievable to him.

This was more than an issue of a failing team, however. This was also an issue of a failing family. It was true, the Titans were a family and had been a family for years and if Beastboy was struggling Robin was sure he would have talked to someone about it. They all trusted each other immensely, or so he thought. No, something was definitely up here. Does Beastboy sometimes act rashly, of course, but he always comes back, something was different this time and Robin feared it had a lot to do with a certain girl who always brought around trouble.

Robin was beginning to piece the puzzle together. Something had upset Beastboy, which on any ordinary occasion, could have been resolved easily. In his state of anger however, Beastboy had run into Terra who somehow convinced him to leave the team and his superpowers behind. He was so love-struck with her, even after all these years, Robin wasn't sure if Beastboy could be trusted not to jump off a bridge if Terra asked him to. So, the why was established, at least enough to move on to the how. How did Terra remove Beastboy's powers? Where did she get access to the technology? She had to be working with someone, she was smart but not that smart. Who might have the scientific capabilities to develop something like this? Professor Chang, maybe? To Robin's knowledge, Chang was still in a prison cell after the huge battle with Brother Blood and many of Jump City's notorious villains. Many of them got away or broke out of prison, of course, but Change was relatively old and week so it was hard to imagine he got himself out of prison. Perhaps he's working with someone. Robin felt it was the best lead the Titans had thus far, and figured it was time to take a visit to Jump City Correction Facility.

Robin had just stepped into the Titans common room when the alarm blared and red lights began flashing. The rest of the Titans rushed in as Cyborg typed away at the computer, pulling up the details and location of the crime.

"Looks like it's just Control Freak trying to steal from the game shop." Cyborg announced as the map zoomed in on the shop.

"Alright Titans, let's go." Robin announced. Interviewing Professor Chang would have to wait until tomorrow.

* * *

 **A/N: I've noticed that when writing Beastboy, at least in these scenes, I've been writing him from a more mature perspective. I hope it's clear that this story is taking place about 2 years after the events of "Things Change," which puts Beastboy at about 17/18 years old. So I'm doing my best to keep his character as realistic as possible but at times the content seems to call for a more mature Beastboy so let me know if you think the dialogue is believable coming from him!**


	5. Chapter 5

**A/N: And here's another chapter for you guys! I'm sorry if things are moving pretty quick, I've decided this is going to be much shorter than my other full-length fic, that's just how the story's playing out in my head. I'm also trying to spread the events out over a couple days so bear with me on the time skips. I love feedback so keep letting me know what you think. The next few chapter should be longer in length so look forward to that. Anyways, enjoy!**

* * *

Cyborg opened the door as Beastboy made his way inside, alone. It felt strange to be letting him in through the front door and to see him looking so unlike himself. Cyborg was feeling particularly upset at the abandonment of his friend but had always been good at hiding his emotions. Being half machine allowed him to shut down the human side of himself and hide behind the electronic parts. He still felt the pain inside, though. Beastboy was his little buddy and had been since the day they met. He had always admired the little guy's spirit and vibrancy for life and seeing him now he seemed to have lost all of that. He didn't look happy in this "normal" form, though Cyborg wouldn't call it normal because normal for Beastboy was being green and annoying.

"How ya doin B?" Cyborg asked as the two rode to the main floor in the elevator.

"Alright. Just here to get my stuff." Beastboy's voice lacked the usual enthusiasm. The elevator doors slid open to reveal the main floor. Starfire was on the sofa watching TV and didn't seem to hear the elevator doors open, not that she'd want to see Beastboy at this point. Cyborg walked behind Beastboy to his room, the two remained silent along the way. Beastboy's door slid open and the two walked into. Cyborg was greeted with the familiar yet unpleasant scent of the messy room. Beastboy reached into the closet and pulled out a duffle bag and began tossing clothes in.

"Might be better off buyin some new clothes the way those ones smell." Cyborg attempted a joke but Beastboy pretended not to hear. "Look, uh, are you sure you've made the right decision? You know we care about you bud." Beastboy stood and face Cyborg, he'd grown a few inches over the years but still was not as tall as Cyborg.

"I'm sure."

"Can I help you with your bags?" Cyborg reached a hand down and placed his hand on Beastboy's, unbeknownst to Beastboy one of Cyborg's mechanical fingers had sprouted a small needle and pricked him on the hand to collect some blood. Beastboy pulled back and didn't seem to notice the prick.

"Uh no, I got it." Beastboy pushed past Cyborg and headed back to the main elevator.

"Just… be careful BB. And if you're in trouble you know who to call." The elevator doors closed and Beastboy was sent back to the main floor. Cyborg sighed, he hated seeing his friend like that and couldn't believe Beastboy actually felt he'd made the right decision. Cyborg headed to the medical bay to test the sample of blood he had collected against the old blood samples he had from Beastboy.

* * *

Robin made his way to the common area after doing some research on the tower computer. He confirmed Professor Chang was still being held at Jump City Correctional Facility and he would be able to visit his cell. He decided he should share his findings with the team before heading out to the prison. Stepping into the room he saw only Starfire sitting on the sofa watching TV. He walked up behind her and placed a hand on her shoulder.

"Hey Star, have you seen Raven and Cyborg?" Starfire looked up at him with a smile on her face.

"I believe friend Raven is in her room. Cyborg was just here with…Beastboy…I do not know where he has gone now." The smile began to fade from her face when talking about Beastboy.

"Oh I wonder if he got a blood sample, I bet he's in the med bay. Will you do me a favor and get Raven out here, I'll go get Cy and we can talk about our findings so far." Robin gave Starfire a small squeeze on the shoulder and headed for the elevator. He arrived in the medical bay and saw Cyborg hovering over a microscope. "Find anything interesting?"

"Oh yeah. Have a look." Robin walked over and peered through the microscope. After a few seconds Cyborg changed out the slide for another. Robin was surprised to see some differences in the appearance of the blood cells. "BB's blood originally was very unique, it had animalistic properties and was pretty close to primate blood. But now his blood looks completely human, he's completely lost the animal characteristics. Basically, we know this "cure" isn't just blocking whatever causes his powers but has actually removed them completely."

"Good work, Cy. Let's meet with the rest of the team downstairs, I've got some ideas to share as well." The two made their way to the main floor where the two girls were sitting patiently on the sofa. Robin and Cyborg stood in front of them. Cyborg relayed to the girls his findings about Beastboy's bloodwork first. "I've been working on figuring out who could possibly develop this cure or whatever it is that has changed Beastboy. The most logical answer this far is Professor Chang. We know he's incredibly intelligent and a skilled chemist and scientist. This "cure" seems right up his alley. He's still in jail, though, so my guess is he sold it to someone else, we just have to find out who. I'm going to head to JCCF and interrogate him, I want the rest of you to continue brainstorming who could be the mastermind behind this all. If possible Cy, see if you can get any more data out of that blood sample. We'll regroup tonight and figure out what we need to do." Robin left without question, he didn't want to waste any time.

Robin arrived at the prison in no time and was being escorted to an interrogation room. His pride swelled knowing so many of these criminals were ones he had put away and gotten off the streets of Jump City. The officer held the door open and let Robin in, Professor Chang was already there, his hands and legs cuffed to the table. Robin sat across from the pale man, his hair was beginning to visibly thin, a sign of his age.

"Robin, so nice to have a visitor for once." Chang's grin was mischievous; it was clear he felt he had the upper hand here.

"You know I don't make leisure visits, I'm here for information. We've been informed of some kind of 'cure' for superpowers that's going around in Jump City, know anything about it?" Change faked a look of surprise.

"A cure?! Why, is that even possible?" Change began to laugh as Robin grew frustrated. Robin slammed a fist on the metal table, silencing the man.

"I'm not here to play games, I know you created this… whatever it is. I want to know who you made it for and why." Robin couldn't ignore how much he was beginning to sound like his old mentor. Chang leaned across the table to look Robin in the eyes.

"And why would I tell you that?" He smirked. "Everything I do is for a price!" Robin sighed, he very rarely made deals with criminals but he didn't have time to waste here. Chang was not an inherently dangerous criminal, but rather an opportunist looking to make a quick buck where he could no matter who it came from. He could see he was going to have to bargain with the man to make this quicker.

"A reduced sentence for everything you know." Robin set the price. It would not be easy to convince the officials but he had his ways.

"And a better cell." Chang offered, always needing to one-up the bet.

"Sure, and a better cell." Chang leaned back, as much as he could, in the chair and smiled.

"Alright, what would you like to know."

"What is it and who did you give it to?"

"That's all? It's a special serum I developed, actually the prototype was made years ago but I didn't find it useful at the time until someone approached with the need. The serum is injected into the blood stream and attracts the essence of the powers into a 'clump' which is then extracted back out. It's tricky of course, not all powers are created equal you know. I never got to test it before I sold it, though he hasn't complained to me so it must be working fine. As for the who, I don't really know. I don't have deal with clients personally, I have minions for that. All I got was his initials, 'S.W.'." Robin was surprised by how useful the information Chang had given up was.

"Can you reverse it?"

"I suppose you just inject the powers back in?"

"Thanks." Robin stood and exited the room quickly, he had to get back to his team and share his findings. Now that he had a better understanding of what the serum was and that it was reversible, all they had to do was get to Beastboy before it was too late.

* * *

"How'd it go?" Terra asked as Garfield got back into the black Mercedes parked outside of the Titans Tower.

"Fine." Garfield was feeling more and more regretful about his decision. Seeing the other Titans made him feel unsure but Terra had a way with words and what she said had seemed true. He was conflicted about which life he wanted to live. Getting his belongings had felt so final though, he wasn't sure he'd be welcomed back at this point anyways. Terra rested a hand on his before starting the engine and heading back into the city. Terra entered the code to the security tunnel once more, Garfield knew it would have to be changed once they left since two 'civilians' now knew the code. The drive through the tunnel was dark and quiet and Garfield was left to his thoughts. They arrived back at the apartment a little while later and Garfield was surprised to see Mr. Wilson in the living room writing in a notebook. Mr. Wilson turned and Garfield saw for the first time that he was wearing an eye patch over his right eye. Garfield couldn't help but gape.

"How…how'd you get that?" Terra gently slapped him on the arm.

"That's a little rude, Gar." Terra whispered, Mr. Wilson just cracked a smile.

"War accident. Not a big deal. I'm glad you're home though, I wanted to talk to you Garfield." Garfield was surprised but moved to sit in the armchair across from Mr. Wilson. "I don't mean to pry, but as Terra may have told you, I'm somewhat of a writer. You…the Titans have always been an interest of mine and I was hoping you could help me understand a bit more about you, specifically your powers. It would really help with the story I'm writing." Garfield was puzzled by the man's request but didn't see any harm in sharing what he knew. Talking about his powers might distract him enough for now anyways.

"Uh, sure, what did you want to know?"

"Well, I'm trying to accurately portray the transformation you, or someone with powers like yours, might undergo when shapeshifting. How does it work exactly?" Gar thought for a moment, using powers had become so natural and fluid he rarely had to think about it anymore.

"Well with the powers I had, I could only turn into animals, and it had to be animals I know about and have seen. It was easy for me because I grew up in Africa with my parents and they studied animals so I saw so many different species as a kid. I read magazines too, and books about animals, and I think that helps with transforming because I can-could visualize what I wanted to become. It was all very fast, just think of the animal and bam I am it., and I mean I really am that animal, my whole body changes, aside from my mind of course. The animal can be extinct though, I used to turn into dinosaurs a lot, you know big and scary-always useful. Fictional creatures too, though those can be tricky because I need a lot of details to become it. And alien creatures. Basically, anything living… well not plants… uh you get it." Mr. Wilson had been taking notes while Garfield talked. Speaking about the powers he no longer had felt odd, and not in a good way.

"Fascinating, thank you so much." Mr. Wilson stood and took his notes to his room and closed the door. Terra made her way to the sofa where Mr. Wilson had just been sitting.

"Terra… I'm not so sure…"

"Shh..." Terra interrupted him. "It's not easy at first, but you'll get used to it. At least you have me to go through this with. Sure, I had Mr. Wilson around, but truthfully, I was alone. I can help you, it's all going to be okay, I promise." Terra stood and walked over to Garfield. She cupped his chin in her hand and kissed him, distracting him if for only moment. "Go unpack your things and I'll order some Chinese food, okay?" Garfield nodded and made his way to the bedroom with his duffle bag but couldn't bring himself to remove the clothes. This wasn't his home and he couldn't make this his home. Tomorrow, he had to let Terra know he was changing his mind. He wanted this opportunity to make things right with her, maybe she would understand and they could still work things out. Or maybe she'd go back to hating him. But he knew he couldn't stand leaving his team the way he did and he was going to find a way to reverse this.


	6. Chapter 6

Garfield awoke in his strange new bed in this uncomfortable apartment and knew he had to tell Terra he'd changed his mind today. He felt like he'd been suffering a head-cold the past 2 days with his powers removed. His senses had been dulled to a normal human level he wasn't used to and felt like the world had become muted to him. He didn't expect to feel so empty without his powers but he did. More importantly, he missed his team; they were his friends and his family and he couldn't stand being without them for so long. Sure, sometimes he felt less important to the team but he knew they could work past those issues, they were too important to him. Garfield got ready for the day and headed into the living room. Terra was in the kitchen pouring herself a bowl of cereal.

"Morning." Terra greeted him without turning around.

"Yeah good morning… uh Terra… I need to talk to you." Terra grabbed her bowl and set it on the small kitchen table.

"Okay. Orange juice?" Terra was pulling the carton out of the fridge as she asked.

"Uh sure." She poured two glasses and brought them to the table where she sat and began to eat her breakfast. Garfield sat opposite her.

"So Terra… I've uh… been thinking…"

"Oh no, you thinking? Better be careful you don't pull a muscle!" Terra cracked a smile at him but he ignored the joke he'd heard hundreds of times.

"I've been thinking, I don't think this life is for me. I don't think I want to be normal." Garfield paused and took a drink of his orange juice, waiting for a response from Terra but she continued to eat cereal like normal. "I want to have my powers back. But I…I still want to be friends with you Terra, or more than friends… I just don't want to lose you again, ok?" She set her spoon down in the bowl.

"Gar, why would you want to go back to that life? Think of all the responsibility that comes with having superpowers."

"I like that responsibility. It gives me purpose, you know? I like helping people too."

"You like feeling special. You like feeling different. But really, is that so important? It's dangerous. You're constantly risking your life for people you don't even know! Who cares about other people, it's so… relieving to only have to care about yourself."

"I've… I've never really liked having to care about myself I guess? I like to focus on other people."

"You can focus on me. We can spend our lives together, Gar. We wouldn't have to worry about saving people or whatever. Just you and me and that's it. We'll get our own place, support ourselves, and really be together. Haven't you ever thought of just settling down?" Garfield was caught off guard. He had no idea Terra had been thinking that far.

"I…uh… I mean I guess… but Terra… I-I'm only 18, you know? I have so much more to do before I settle down. I uh…" Gar was beginning to lose his train of thought; it was becoming harder for him to focus.

"Oh Gar… I was really hoping this would work out easily for us." He gave a strange look, not sure what she was on about. "I wish you could just play along and be happy, but I guess that's not how this is going to go, is it? Are you feeling alright?" Garfield was beginning to feel light-headed and his vision was blurring. Multiple images of Terra were appearing in front of him.

"I…uhh…" Garfield tried to stand up but couldn't get his legs to cooperate.

"I'm sorry to have to do this to you." He heard Terra say as he fell out of his chair and onto the floor. She was standing over him, those big blue eyes staring into his, when everything went black.

* * *

Raven was sitting at the kitchen table when Robin entered, a determined look on his face.

"We're going to get him back today." He announced. "Now that we know it's reversible, we have to talk some sense into him before something goes wrong or it's too late to reverse it. Once everyone is up and ready, we'll head out." Robin grabbed his morning coffee and sat at the table with a newspaper.

"Good morning to you too." Raven replied, Robin was always in work mode, of course she could understand why in this situation. The whole sequence of events had been very strange but she knew that something more sinister was happening than Beastboy simply choosing to give up his powers. Terra was involved and Terra always meant bad news. Raven had tried several times to give her a chance and had always been proven wrong. It was hard for her to trust people to begin with and after everything Terra had done, there was no trust there. Terra was bad news and she knew it. Yet Beastboy somehow always fell for her tricks. Raven hated how easily he could be fooled by a pretty girl… Cyborg and Starfire made their way into the kitchen a little while later.

"Eat your breakfast and be ready to go. We're heading back to that apartment and we're going to talk some sense into Beastboy." Robin announced to the others. It wasn't long before the team was piled in the T-car and headed to downtown Jump City. This mission was meant to be civil but the Titans were always prepared for something to go wrong. They parked the car and headed up the elevator to the apartment Beastboy was staying in with Terra. Robin had the lead and knocked loudly on the apartment door. The Titans waited awkwardly for a few moments but no one answered. Robin knocked loudly again. "Beastboy, it's Robin, open up!" Still there was no answer. Robin tried the door but it was locked. He began rummaging in his tool belt for a lock pick but Starfire merely pushed on the door and it fell right off its hinges.

"Ooops." She said in a not-so-innocent voice. The Titans filed in to apartment and found no one was there. "Perhaps they have gone for a morning stroll?"

"I'm not so sure, look." Robin pointed to one of the kitchen chairs that was knocked over on its side. On the table were two glasses of orange juice, barely touched, and a half-eaten bowl of cereal. Cyborg walked over to the table and pushed a button on his arm which changed one of his fingers into a strange contraption which he stuck into the glass of orange juice. He looked at the small screen on his arm as it displayed information.

"GHB. The drink's been spiked." Cyborg announced. Starfire gasped.

"What does this mean?" Starfire asked.

"It means Beastboy's in trouble." Robin replied. "Cyborg, can you track where Beastboy's T-Communicator is? If we're lucky he's still got it on him." Cyborg pushed another button on his arm and the screen changed to a small map where a red dot appeared blinking.

"I don't know for sure if it's him but the communicator is registering inside a building just on the edge of town."

"Let's go." Robin led the team out of the apartment and down to the T-car. Cyborg punched the coordinates into the car's GPS and sped off to the city's edge. They entered the factory district and pulled up to an older factory building that looked unoperational.

"There never seems to be a shortage of abandoned buildings for the baddies to use." Raven quietly said under her breath. The team walked through the front door and paused as their eyes adjusted to the darkness. Inside the building Raven began to feel a strong pull inside of herself. She realized she was sensing Beastboy's presence in the building. "He's here." She announced.

"I can't pinpoint exactly where in the factory he is." Cyborg said while looking at the map on his arm.

"Let's split up then, but be careful team. Have your communicators ready to call for backup." Robin headed through the first set of doors onto the main factory floor. Cyborg headed down the hallway to the left while Starfire headed up the stairs. Raven figured that left her with the basement so she made her way down the concrete steps.

* * *

Garfield awoke with a horrible feeling in his gut. He'd knew instantly that he'd been tricked by Terra. He slowly opened his eyes and was greeted with a dim yellowish light. He was in a small concrete room and had been laying on a medical gurney. The room was full of what appeared to be old medical equipment, actually. Several steel tables, trays, and chairs were pushed against one wall. There were metal canisters and lots of plastic tubing as well. Garfield sat up, unsteady at first. He felt groggy from whatever Terra had put in his drink. He took a moment to look around the room and saw there was only one wooden door and a small dark window on the same wall. As he was looking at the exists thinking about how he could get out, the window illuminated and Terra appeared on the other side, a small microphone was in front of her.

"You're awake." She said, a blank look on her face.

"What's going on, where am I?" Garfield asked.

"You're our bait." Terra said simply.

"Bait? What are you planning? And who's 'our'?" Garfield's head was feeling heavy as he tried to process everything that was going on. He saw Terra roll her eyes.

"Still dumb as ever." Garfield was shocked, Terra was always the one who believed in him and never called him stupid like many of his teammates had before. "I can't believe you haven't figure it out yet. We were never trying to cure you, Gar, we were just taking away your powers. We made you useless and now he's going to inject himself with you powers to make himself stronger." Garfield must have had a shocked look on his face because Terra sighed loudly. "Slade, you idiot. You seriously had no idea? Who else would I be working with? Mr. Wilson is Slade. We've been preparing this plan for years, waiting for you're most vulnerable moment to bring you in. And now that we have you, it's going to be no problem to get to the other Titans. And we're going to start with that ugly demon girl, not sure how well the extraction process will go with her, but if it kills her, oh well." Garfield's face felt hot with rage. He ran at the window and slammed his fists against it but it didn't give. "Double layered and bullet proof, good luck getting through that. Well, your ex-team will be here soon, I'll get you when it's over."

The light behind the window went out and he could no longer see through the window. He pounded on the window a few more times for good measure but his fists were beginning to hurt and he realized how perfect the whole situation was. Here he was in a simple room with no powers and no way to get out. If he still had his powers it would be a piece of cake to break out but as a human he felt weak and fragile. He had fell for Terra's trap and now he was going to lure in the rest of his team too, he truly felt like a complete idiot.

* * *

Of course Raven was stuck exploring the basement but something inside her told her she was going the right way. She stopped in her tracks and focused for a moment, trying to sense where Beastboy might be in the building. She could feel a sort of glow inside her mind pulling her down the basement stairs and to the right. Raven followed the feeling through the dark, looking for any sign of the Changeling. She hadn't walked far when down the hallway when a slightly ajar door caught her eye and decided to check inside.

Raven entered the dark, small room. She had sensed Beastboy's presence up until this point but it was suddenly gone once she crossed the threshold. Confused, she took a step back, ready to leave when the door slammed closed behind her. She whipped around to see who had closed it when the room suddenly filled with bright white light. Raven closed her eyes, not accustomed to the brightness, and slowly reopened them to assess her surroundings. The room was slightly larger than she had thought but still fairly empty. The walls were white and the floor was a cold tile and in the center, was an operating bed. Raven knew then she had walked into a trap. She began to look around for another exit, hands at the ready in case she needed to strike. The room was solid all the way around, no windows just the one door she had come through. She turned and tried the knob but it was locked, as she expected.

"Raven, I'm so glad you could make it." The voice was calm and smooth and echoed off the walls. Raven didn't have to see a face to know who it was: Slade. The Titans hadn't seen him in years, in fact they were beginning to believe he was dead. He had a habit of popping up at the worst times though and they should have known.

"What is this?" Raven asked, trying to keep her voice calm and emotionless. "What did you do to Beastboy?"

"Only what he asked for." Slade replied in his steely voice. Raven was beginning to summon dark energy around her hands, ready to attack as soon as she could identify where the voice was coming from. It happened suddenly though, she was caught off guard as she was tackled to the ground, her arms twisted painfully behind her and a gag placed in her mouth keeping her from uttering her chant. It was all so fast but suddenly she was strapped to the bed, her arms and legs tied tightly down and the gag still in her mouth. Standing over her was Slade and to his side Terra. Raven felt furious, hate for that girl flowing through her body, energy powering up around her until suddenly it stopped and she began to feel a calm feeling in her body. She turned her head slightly to see a needle in Slade's hand.

"Just a sedative to keep you under control." Slade replied, she couldn't see his expression through the mask but knew he was grinning. Raven felt her body relaxing and a sense of panic deep inside. She was useless at this point and couldn't harness any energy. She was afraid. "Good girl, just relax." Slade stroked a gloved hand along Raven's face, she would have bitten him if she could move her face which was now beginning to feel numb. "This shall truly be an interesting experience; you see you are our first patient who was born with powers to undergo this procedure. I knew it would be easy to perform on the Changeling and Terra, but you… my I'm not sure what will happen. I've been studying the anatomy of your powers and they are so complex, so closely linked to every aspect of your being. I'm not sure they can be removed, but oh we will try." He let out a small chuckle.

"Mmm…" Raven attempted to speak but the gag muffled her words and she was feeling extremely weak. Slade removed the gag from her mouth, certain she no longer had the strength to speak.

"I'm sure you want to know why I'm doing this. It's quite simple really, I'm collecting your powers for myself. I want to become strong so I can destroy you Titans once and for all and to do it I'm going to use your own powers against you." Raven's eyes grew wide with realization. How did she not see it before? And the others, how was she going to let them know? "Now just relax dear, I won't lie, this is going to hurt a lot and frankly I don't know how long this will take." Slade stuck his hand out and Terra handed him a large needle which he injected into Raven's arm. The pain was sudden and immense, like fire running through her veins. Her body contorted and she screamed, tears running down her face. It was agony but soon the world around her went black.

* * *

 **A/N: Oh man I've been so excited to get this chapter finished and uploaded! I hope you guys liked it! There will probably be one or two more chapters to this story and I promise I will finish this one. I know I could do so much more but because this story began over a year ago I kind of just want to complete it and begin working on something else. Also I want to add in that I'm a complete sucker for realism and I always want there to be logical explanations to things that occur but every now and then I have to tell myself it's fiction and sometimes there can be leaps in logic. I hope you guys understand that and the story feels believable enough, especially in the Titans universe.**


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